detain
UK[dɪˈteɪn]US[dɪˈteɪn]
v
to keep someone in an official place, such as a police station, a prison, or a hospital, and stop them from leaving
v
to delay someone for a short period of time
Morpheme Breakdown
de
tain
de
down, away
tain
hold, keep
Etymology
the word "detain" entered english in the late 15th century from old french 'detenir', which itself descended from latin 'detinēre'. this latin verb is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the verb 'tenēre', meaning "to hold." the core logic is thus "to hold away" or "to hold back." from the literal sense of physically holding someone in custody, the meaning broadened to include the more abstract sense of causing a delay by holding back someone's progress or time. this semantic evolution from concrete restraint to temporal hindrance illustrates a common pattern in language development.
Analysis
Structure: de (down, away) + tain (hold, keep)
- de: a prefix from Latin, meaning "down, away, off, completely." in this word, it functions as an intensifier.
- tain: a root from latin 'tenēre' (to hold, to keep), appearing here in a form adapted to english spelling. it provides the core meaning of holding or keeping.
Examples
the police have the authority to detain suspects for up to 24 hours for questioning.
i'm sorry to detain you after the meeting, but i need to ask one quick question.
several asylum seekers were detained at the border while their applications were processed.